The Queen's Beauty
by Fanfictions4everscar
Summary: Not a valuable chess piece. But certainly not useless. One-shot between Regina and Belle shortly after Hook broke into the tower where Belle was being kept. Femslash. No smut, but I will post a smutty Beautyqueen fic eventually.


Regina sat on the cot, next to Belle. The girl was still unconscious from

Hook's visit hours prior, which meant it was only a matter of time until she awoke. Regina reached up to stroke Belle's cheek.

'Not useless,' she had said, 'A valuable chess piece.' But why was the beauty really here? Rumplestiltskin believed her dead, so any blackmail would be out of the question. Belle didn't have any desired or secret information. Not a valuable chess piece. But certainly not useless.

And Regina was not going to sit by while Hook killed her. Belle did not belong to the pirate, she belonged to the queen. She was Regina's to do with what she wanted, and she would not be killed.

So pretty. So joyful. So pure. So nice. So optimistic. The things Regina used to be until Rumple corrupted her. It would only take so much effort before he did the same to Belle. Regina saved her.

With a tiny whimper, the former princess stirred, and the queen yanked her hand away.

"Regina?" she croaked. Confusion dominated her facial expression until her features contorted in defiance.

"What are you doing here?" she spat.

"Just making sure you're alright," Regina answered gently with a smile, "after the pirate broke in. He was going to kill you, you know?"

"H-he was?" Belle replied as she sat up, her face softening. The evil queen nodded.

"Had I not got here in the nick of time, I'm afraid you'd be no more."

"Wait," the beauty chuckled in disbelief, "You saved me?"

Regina gave her a look of mock hurt.

"Of course! I couldn't let you die. What a waste!"

"Death would be better than life in this tower. I'll die here anyway!" Belle snarled.

"My offer still stands," Regina reminded, reaching up and smoothing the princess' auburn mane.

"Why would I live in the castle with you? So you could torture me at your convenience?"

"I hit you once!"

"Please!" Belle scoffed, "You may have hit me once, but what of the countless number of times your men have raped and beaten me at your command?"

"What?"

"Don't feign ignorance, Regina. They told me you were the one who ordered it."

Regina paused and rested a hand on the beauty's shoulder, clothed by her own old dress.

"Belle, I would n-."

"Save it," she interrupted, turning away and shrugging off the other woman's hand.

"Listen to me," the queen hissed, grabbing her hostage's chin and forcing her to look back, "I never ordered them to do any of that, and I'll ensure it doesn't happen again. They will pay dearly for damaging my property."

"Don't. Forget about it. I'm not worth it."

"Of course you're worth it," Regina countered, releasing the girl's chin.

"Stop pretending that you care about me."

"I'm not pretending," she said, scooting closer and taking her chin again, though much more gently this time, "I _do_ care about you."

The evil queen punctuated her sentence by pressing her lips against the prisoner's. She was greatly surprised when Belle didn't fight. In fact, she even opened her mouth for Regina's tongue. When the kiss ended, and Regina pulled away, Belle stared back in shock. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the queen put her palm to the girl's forehead. A second later, Belle laid unconscious again.

Regina sighed and got up. When Belle awoke, she'd remember everything except the kiss. She'd believe Regina truly cared about her, but she wouldn't know why. It was a simple memory charm.

She closed the door to Belle's cell and made her way down the stairs. The beauty could leave the tower anytime she wanted. All she had to do was live with the queen in her castle, but of course she wouldn't. She wouldn't be that disloyal to Rumple, even after he cruelly kicked her out of his castle.

As she neared the exit, she passed a guard. Everything Belle reported came bubbling to the surface of her memory, and she turned on him angrily. Rage propelled her fist forward, into his chest. Her fingers closed around the thumping organ before tearing it from his body.

With a cry, he fell to the ground. The evil queen studied it for a minute before holding the heart in front of his face. She squeezed it slightly as she spoke, like a warning.

"If you _ever_ touch her again," she threatened, squeezing even harder, "I will kill you."


End file.
